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Agronomic Options For Profitable Rice-Based Farming System In Northern Australia, Siva Sivapalan Sep 2016

Agronomic Options For Profitable Rice-Based Farming System In Northern Australia, Siva Sivapalan

Books & book chapters

Minimum air temperatures less than 15°C had biggest impact on varietal performance. Cold damage during the months of June and July warrants selection of varieties with cold tolerance for this environment, especially for the aerobic rice system. Ponded water has 4-8°C advantage over the air temperature, thus providing some protection against such cold damage. This has resulted in higher yields under flooded system. Planting dates, varying from late-February to late-May, were found to play a crucial role for plants to escape the low temperature damage at critical growth stages. Among the varieties tested, selected tropical varieties yielded higher than the …


The Illinois Soil Nitrogen Test: Should It Be Used In Iowa?, John E. Sawyer, Mohammod Ali Tabatabai Jul 2016

The Illinois Soil Nitrogen Test: Should It Be Used In Iowa?, John E. Sawyer, Mohammod Ali Tabatabai

John E. Sawyer

The test was developed several years ago at the University of Illinois by researchers in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. It is a laboratory procedure designed to measure N liberated from soil heated for 5 hours with dilute alkali solution (sodium hydroxide). The test does not measure nitrate, but does measure exchangeable ammonium and a fraction of soil organic N.


Sulfur Fertilizer Application To Corn And Soybean, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker Jul 2016

Sulfur Fertilizer Application To Corn And Soybean, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker

John E. Sawyer

Historically sulfur (S) application has not been recommended on Iowa soils for corn and soybean production. The soil supply or combination from sources such as manure or precipitation has met crop S needs. However, soil S levels or supply will become depleted with prolonged crop removal, sulfate leaching, low precipitation deposition, and declining soil organic matter. The objective of this study was to determine the responsiveness of corn and soybean to S application (first year and residual second year) and S fertilizer material at multiple sites across Iowa soils and climatic conditions.


Sulfur Fertilizer Application To Corn And Soybean, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker Jul 2016

Sulfur Fertilizer Application To Corn And Soybean, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker

John E. Sawyer

Historically, sulfur (S) application has not been recommended on Iowa soils for corn and soybean production. Soil supply or combination from sources such as manure or precipitation has met crop S needs. However, soil S levels or supply may become depleted with prolonged crop removal, sulfate leaching, low precipitation deposition, and declining soil organic matter. The objective of this study was to determine if corn and soybean yields would respond to S fertilizer rate and material at multiple sites across Iowa soils and climatic conditions.


Sulfur Fertilizer Application To Corn And Soybean, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker Jul 2016

Sulfur Fertilizer Application To Corn And Soybean, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker

John E. Sawyer

Historically sulfur (S) application has not been recommended on Iowa soils for corn and soybean production. The soil supply or combination from sources such as manure or precipitation has met crop S needs. However, soil S levels or supply will become depleted with prolonged crop removal, sulfate leaching, low precipitation deposition, and declining soil organic matter. The objective of this study was to determine the responsiveness of corn and soybean to S application (first year and residual second year) and S fertilizer material at multiple sites across Iowa soils and climatic conditions.


Sulfur Fertilizer Application To Corn And Soybean, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker Jul 2016

Sulfur Fertilizer Application To Corn And Soybean, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker

John E. Sawyer

Historically sulfur (S) application has not been recommended on Iowa soils for corn and soybean production. The soil supply or combination from sources such as manure or precipitation has met crop S needs. However, soil S levels or supply will become depleted with prolonged crop removal, sulfate leaching, low precipitation deposition, and declining soil organic matter. The objective of this study was to determine the responsiveness of corn and soybean to S application (first year and residual second year) and S fertilizer material at multiple sites across Iowa soils and climatic conditions.


Sulfur Fertilizer Application To Corn And Soybean, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker Jul 2016

Sulfur Fertilizer Application To Corn And Soybean, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker

John E. Sawyer

Historically, sulfur (S) application has not been recommended on Iowa soils for corn and soybean production. Soil supply or combination from sources such as manure or precipitation has met crop S needs. However, soil S levels or supply may become depleted with prolonged crop removal, sulfate leaching, low precipitation deposition, and declining soil organic matter. The objective of this study was to determine if corn and soybean yields would respond to S fertilizer rate and material at multiple sites across Iowa soils and climatic conditions.


Sulfur Fertilizer Application To Corn And Soybean, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker Jul 2016

Sulfur Fertilizer Application To Corn And Soybean, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker

John E. Sawyer

Historically sulfur (S) application has not been recommended on Iowa soils for corn and soybean production. The soil supply or combination from sources such as manure or precipitation has met crop S needs. However, soil S levels or supply will become depleted with prolonged crop removal, sulfate leaching, low precipitation deposition, and declining soil organic matter. The objective of this study was to determine the responsiveness of corn and soybean to S application (first year and residual second year) and S fertilizer material at multiple sites across Iowa soils and climatic conditions.


Summary Of Sulfur Strip Trials Conducted In Central And Northeast Iowa Preliminary 2009 Results, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker, Brian J. Lang Jul 2016

Summary Of Sulfur Strip Trials Conducted In Central And Northeast Iowa Preliminary 2009 Results, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker, Brian J. Lang

John E. Sawyer

Sulfur (S) strip trials were conducted by ISU Extension field agronomists Brian Lang, George Cummins, and Mark Wuebker; Heartland Co-op; Innovative Ag; Five Star Co-op; Calcium Products, Inc; and cooperating growers.


Post-Plant Nitrogen Applications On Corn, John E. Sawyer Jul 2016

Post-Plant Nitrogen Applications On Corn, John E. Sawyer

John E. Sawyer

Has the wet weather interrupted planned nitrogen (N) fertilizer applications? What are the options if corn has emerged? All is not lost. In fact, in wet springs sidedress N can be an advantage because delayed application avoids potential losses and increases use by the crop.


Potassium Deficiency Symptoms In Corn, John E. Sawyer Jul 2016

Potassium Deficiency Symptoms In Corn, John E. Sawyer

John E. Sawyer

The dry conditions this spring have resulted in corn plants expressing potassium (K) deficiency symptoms the past 2 weeks. This phenomenon has appeared in previous dry spring seasons and is back again this year, especially in southern Iowa. Areas of the state that received adequate rainfall are generally not showing K deficiency symptoms. Symptoms can appear even though soil K is adequate for crop production. How can this occur? Uptake of K by plants requires an active root system, especially in the soil zone where plant-available K is located.


Surface Waters: Ammonium Is Not Ammonia – Part 1, John E. Sawyer Jul 2016

Surface Waters: Ammonium Is Not Ammonia – Part 1, John E. Sawyer

John E. Sawyer

A recent article in The Des Moines Register newspaper has caused considerable controversy regarding nitrogen in Iowa streams and rivers. The article (High ammonia levels threaten D.M.’s water, April 6, 2008) featured information about “ammonia” levels in certain Iowa surface water systems during the recent winter time period. The implications were that manure and fertilizer application to cropland, and subsequent snowmelt and runoff, had resulted in higher than normal “ammonia” levels in surface waters. In the article there was a comparison of the reported levels to an ammonia reading of 0.10 parts per million considered harmful to aquatic life.


Postemergence Application Of Herbicides In Corn, Micheal D. Owen, John E. Sawyer, Robert G. Hartzler Jul 2016

Postemergence Application Of Herbicides In Corn, Micheal D. Owen, John E. Sawyer, Robert G. Hartzler

John E. Sawyer

The Iowa 2006 corn crop is mostly in the ground and much of it will be emerged by the end of the week. Planting progressed rapidly in late April prior to the current wet conditions, and this prolonged wet period will impact weed management plans for those fields planted prior to the rain but not treated with preemergence herbicides or nitrogen (N) fertilizer. This article is revised from a 2003 discussion and will describe two important issues.


Sulfur Fertilizer Application To Corn And Soybean, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker Jul 2016

Sulfur Fertilizer Application To Corn And Soybean, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker

John E. Sawyer

Historically, sulfur (S) application has not been recommended on Iowa soils for corn and soybean production. The soil supply or combination from sources such as manure or precipitation has met crop S needs. However, soil S levels or supply may become depleted with prolonged crop removal, sulfate leaching, low precipitation deposition, and reduced soil organic matter levels. The objectives of this study were to determine if corn and soybean yields would respond to S fertilizer application and rate at sites in central and northeast Iowa.


Sulfur Fertilizer Application To Corn And Soybean, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker Jul 2016

Sulfur Fertilizer Application To Corn And Soybean, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker

John E. Sawyer

Historically, sulfur (S) application has not been recommended on Iowa soils for corn and soybean production. Soil supply or combination from sources such as manure or precipitation has met crop S needs. However, soil S levels or supply may become depleted with prolonged crop removal, sulfate leaching, low precipitation deposition, and declining soil organic matter. The objective of this study was to determine if corn and soybean yields would respond to S fertilizer rate and material at multiple sites across Iowa soils and climatic conditions.


Surface Waters: Ammonium Is Not Ammonia – Part 2, John E. Sawyer Jul 2016

Surface Waters: Ammonium Is Not Ammonia – Part 2, John E. Sawyer

John E. Sawyer

A previous article explained the difference between ammonium and ammonia, the relationship between the two nitrogen forms and the implication of a combined (ammonium-N plus ammonia-N) analysis related to water quality criteria for aquatic life. This article focuses on the implication of ammonia and ammonium for chlorination of drinking water.


Sulfur Fertilizer Application To Corn And Soybean, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker Jul 2016

Sulfur Fertilizer Application To Corn And Soybean, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker

John E. Sawyer

Historically, sulfur (S) application has not been recommended on Iowa soils for corn and soybean production. Soil supply or combination from sources such as manure or precipitation has met crop S needs. However, soil S levels or supply may become depleted with prolonged crop removal, sulfate leaching, low precipitation deposition, and declining soil organic matter. The objective of this study was to determine if corn and soybean yields would respond to S fertilizer rate and material at multiple sites across Iowa soils and climatic conditions.


Sulfur Fertilizer Application To Corn And Soybean, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker Jul 2016

Sulfur Fertilizer Application To Corn And Soybean, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker

John E. Sawyer

Historically sulfur (S) application has not been recommended on Iowa soils for corn and soybean production. The soil supply or combination from sources such as manure or precipitation has met crop S needs. However, soil S levels or supply will become depleted with prolonged crop removal, sulfate leaching, low precipitation deposition, and declining soil organic matter. The objective of this study was to determine the responsiveness of corn and soybean to S application (first year and residual second year) and S fertilizer material at multiple sites across Iowa soils and climatic conditions.


Sulfur Fertilizer Application To Corn And Soybean, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker Jul 2016

Sulfur Fertilizer Application To Corn And Soybean, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker

John E. Sawyer

Historically, sulfur (S) application has not been recommended on Iowa soils for corn and soybean production. Soil supply or combination from sources such as manure or precipitation has met crop S needs. However, soil S levels or supply may become depleted with prolonged crop removal, sulfate leaching, low precipitation deposition, and declining soil organic matter. The objective of this study was to determine if corn and soybean yields would respond to S fertilizer rate and material at multiple sites across Iowa soils and climatic conditions.


Sulfur Fertilizer Application To Corn And Soybean, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker Jul 2016

Sulfur Fertilizer Application To Corn And Soybean, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker

John E. Sawyer

Historically, sulfur (S) application has not been recommended on Iowa soils for corn and soybean production. The soil supply or combination from sources such as manure or precipitation has met crop S needs. However, soil S levels or supply may become depleted with prolonged crop removal, sulfate leaching, low precipitation deposition, and reduced soil organic matter levels. The objectives of this study were to determine if corn and soybean yields would respond to S fertilizer application and rate at sites in central and northeast Iowa.


Nitrogen Fertilization Of Corn Grown With A Cover Crop, John E. Sawyer, Jose L. Pantoja, Daniel W. Barker Jul 2016

Nitrogen Fertilization Of Corn Grown With A Cover Crop, John E. Sawyer, Jose L. Pantoja, Daniel W. Barker

John E. Sawyer

Objectives of this project were to study corn nitrogen (N) fertilization requirement and corn-soybean yield response when grown in a cover crop system. Multiple rates of N fertilizer are applied, with measurement of corn yield response to applied N and soybean yield with and without a fall planted winter rye cover crop. The study is being conducted at several research farms, with the intent for study across multiple years to allow comparison of with and without a cover crop system across varying soil and climatic conditions.


Nitrogen Fertilization Of Corn Grown With A Cover Crop, John E. Sawyer, Jose L. Pantoja, Daniel W. Barker Jul 2016

Nitrogen Fertilization Of Corn Grown With A Cover Crop, John E. Sawyer, Jose L. Pantoja, Daniel W. Barker

John E. Sawyer

Objectives of this project were to study corn nitrogen (N) fertilization requirement and corn-soybean yield response when grown in a cover crop system. Multiple rates of N fertilizer are applied, with measurement of corn yield response to applied N and soybean yield with and without a fall planted winter rye cover crop. The study is being conducted at several research farms, with the intent for study across multiple years to allow comparison of with and without a cover crop system across varying soil and climatic conditions.


Nitrogen Fertilization Of Corn Grown With A Cover Crop, John E. Sawyer, Jose L. Pantoja, Daniel W. Barker Jul 2016

Nitrogen Fertilization Of Corn Grown With A Cover Crop, John E. Sawyer, Jose L. Pantoja, Daniel W. Barker

John E. Sawyer

Objectives of this project were to study corn nitrogen (N) fertilization requirement and corn-soybean yield response when grown in a rye cover cropping system. Multiple rates of N fertilizer are applied, with measurement of corn yield response to applied N and soybean yield with and without a fall planted winter rye cover crop. The study is being conducted at multiple research farms, with the intent for comparison of with and without a cover crop system across varying soil and climatic conditions in Iowa.


Nitrogen Fertilization Of Corn Grown With A Cover Crop, John E. Sawyer, Jose L. Pantoja, Daniel W. Barker Jul 2016

Nitrogen Fertilization Of Corn Grown With A Cover Crop, John E. Sawyer, Jose L. Pantoja, Daniel W. Barker

John E. Sawyer

Objectives of this project were to study corn nitrogen (N) fertilization requirement and corn-soybean yield response when grown in a rye cover cropping system. Multiple rates of N fertilizer are applied, with measurement of corn yield response to applied N and soybean yield with and without a fall planted winter rye cover crop. The study is being conducted at multiple research farms, with the intent for comparison of with and without a cover crop system across varying soil and climatic conditions in Iowa.


Nitrogen Fertilization Of Corn Grown With A Cover Crop, John E. Sawyer, Jose L. Pantoja, Daniel W. Barker Jul 2016

Nitrogen Fertilization Of Corn Grown With A Cover Crop, John E. Sawyer, Jose L. Pantoja, Daniel W. Barker

John E. Sawyer

Objectives of this project were to study corn nitrogen (N) fertilization requirement and corn-soybean yield response when grown in a rye cover cropping system. Multiple rates of N fertilizer are applied, with measurement of corn yield response to applied N and soybean yield with and without a fall planted winter rye cover crop. The study is being conducted at multiple research farms, with the intent for comparison of with and without a cover crop system across varying soil and climatic conditions in Iowa.


Natural Gas Prices Impact Nitrogen Fertilizer Costs, John E. Sawyer Jul 2016

Natural Gas Prices Impact Nitrogen Fertilizer Costs, John E. Sawyer

John E. Sawyer

Only 2 years ago nitrogen (N) fertilizer supply and price were impacted by a sharp rise in natural gas prices (winter 2000-2001). Another dramatic increase occurred within the past month. Natural gas prices have fluctuated more in recent years because of increased demand for generating electricity and slowed development of new gas supplies. This time, late-winter cold temperatures, high demand for home heating, and world unrest brought depleted supplies and uncertainties in production and pricing.


Making Fertilization Decisions As Fertilizer Prices Escalate And Production Costs Are High - Part 1, John E. Sawyer, Antonio P. Mallarino Jul 2016

Making Fertilization Decisions As Fertilizer Prices Escalate And Production Costs Are High - Part 1, John E. Sawyer, Antonio P. Mallarino

John E. Sawyer

Fertilizers are at unbelievably high prices, with reports of tight supplies and potash allocation to dealers. Total crop production costs are causing credit supply issues, which complicates decisions to allocate available funds for production expenses. These issues are causing producers to consider changing production practices, including cutting back on inputs like fertilizer. What can be done?


Interpreting P And K Soil Test Results, John E. Sawyer, Antonio P. Mallarino Jul 2016

Interpreting P And K Soil Test Results, John E. Sawyer, Antonio P. Mallarino

John E. Sawyer

Soil testing is a key component for determining the need for phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilization. Also, if fertilization is required, test results guide the rate of application recommended to optimize production. Through extensive field research, specific soil tests are calibrated against the expectation of response to applied P and K; that is, they provide both a relative index of the availability of P and K to the crop being grown and an indication of the magnitude of yield increase one might expect when nutrients are applied, thus providing the interpretation of text results.


Making Every Fertilizer Nitrogen Dollar Pay, John E. Sawyer Jul 2016

Making Every Fertilizer Nitrogen Dollar Pay, John E. Sawyer

John E. Sawyer

High fertilizer nitrogen (N) prices will add significant costs to corn production this year. Concurrently, spot shortages of some N products may occur. What steps can producers take to get the most return from added N? What are some options for managing fertilizer applications?


Is It Iron Or Potassium Deficiency?, John E. Sawyer Jul 2016

Is It Iron Or Potassium Deficiency?, John E. Sawyer

John E. Sawyer

Cool early summer temperatures have promoted symptom development of soybean iron chlorosis in some parts of Iowa, according to reports from Iowa State University field crop specialists and samples submitted to the Iowa State University Plant Disease Clinic. Yellowing soybean caused by iron chlorosis was a problem last growing season, and it may be a problem again for some growers this season.